Only human
by taintedtruffle
Summary: the Cullens wake up after a good nights sleep to find something strange...but hey-wait! Vampires don't sleep! what could be going on?
1. Confusion

The sky was black. There was no moon out tonight and no wind but the light rustle of tree leaves could be heard. A small fairy-like creature flitted through the air, little flecks of dust skimming off the wings as it flew, leaving a glittering trail behind it. The creature smelled its next meal, a group of them. It would drain them all before anyone had a chance to notice.

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Isabella Swan-Cullen yawned, stretching as she sat up, awakening to her daughter bouncing on the bed, giggling loudly.

"Mommy! Daddy! Get up!"

"Bella!?" Edward's eyes shot open and he instantly jumped to his feet, looking around. Something was wrong! His vision –his hearing-his senses of smell-everything was muted and dulled, and what's worse; "I fell to sleep!" He hissed through clenched teeth.

"What-you don't-oh!" She trailed off. It hadn't occurred to her that it was unusual for her to sleep; she still had too many human memories to make it seem odd. "Maybe we just wore our selves out last night?" She offered even though the idea itself sounded ridiculous.

Edward wasn't convinced but the conversation would have to wait. Renesseme was tapping both their hands, sending the image of eggs and toast into their mind. Bella's stomach rumbled at the thought. She expected Edward to say something at the sound but he was too preoccupied in his own thoughts.

"I'm starving!" she exclaimed as she headed into the kitchen, husband and daughter following. "Lets go hunting sometime today." He nodded absently; scrambling an egg while Bella pulled out the frying pan and melted butter in it.

"I need to see Carlisle." He glared. Bella nodded, popping a piece of toast in the toaster. It wasn't hard to understand why. Something was seriously wrong here.

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Alice smiled as she opened her eyes. Her head was tucked under Jaspers chin, his soft breath ruffling the feathery tresses every few seconds. She lay there, trying to figure our what vision she was coming out of but nothing came to mind. Deciding it wasn't important she snuggled closer to her husband, small arms wrapping even tighter around his muscled torso.

He stiffened in her grasp, sitting up so suddenly she slid down to his lap.

"What's wrong?" She straightened her self, sitting up so she could look into the troubled blue eyes of her husband. Blue!?

"Jasper! Your eyes!" She reached out to touch his face as he echoed her movements. That's when she noticed something else. "Your scars!" His skin was pale and smooth, a perfect sheet of soft flesh. She didn't understand it. What had happened to change his appearance so much?

"Hello?" She didn't have much time to think, she heard her brother calling from down stairs. "Where is every body?" She ran to the door, calling out "We'll be down in a sec!" She ran back to the closet, pulling on an outfit than hurrying down the steps. What was wrong with her? She was moving at a human's speed!

She got to the bottom of the steps, a visibly agitated Jasper following her. Edward was nowhere to be seen, Bella was standing in the doorway clutching blood palms.

"What happened?" Esme asked, worried, "whose blood is that?"

"Oh you tripped again?" Alice frowned, instinctively pulling her husband up the steps before he could catch a whiff of the blood. She frowned suddenly, looking at him. He didn't look hungry or crazed, simply: annoyed.

"I'm fine." Jasper whispered softly. "I don't smell anything."

"Me neither." She quickly ran through her head what would happen if she took him downstairs. Nothing. Nothing would happen. Cautiously she stepped down the steps, ready to bolt back upstairs if need be but Jasper didn't react, didn't act any different than if he was walking into the living room to talk to a friend.

"So your different too?" Edward asked his brother, a wet washcloth in his hand, pressing it to his wife's injured palm. It was more a statement than a question.

"What's going on?" Jasper asked, weak eyes still searching the room for signs of a threat. When Edward didn't answer he continued. "It must have been an attack, someone who has the ability to dull our senses. They must have snuck in here last night and-" he gritted his teeth, disgusted with his vulnerability. "They could have killed us if they wanted!"

No one had anything to say to that and after a minute Edward kissed Bella's forehead, saying he was going to talk to Carlisle down in his lab. Esme, Alice, Jasper, Bella and Nessie headed into the living room. The little girl flicked on the TV but the adults didn't pay it much attention, they where too busy lost in there own thoughts.

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Rosalie sat up suddenly. What had happened? Last thing she remembered it had been nighttime, her and Emmett had been occupying time in there favorite way when-nothing. Puzzled and more than a little frustrated she looked down to Emmett expecting some answerers out of him.

Instead he lay limp below her, eyes closed and mouth hung open. Sunlight spilled through the open windows over the both of them but she noticed with a terrifying jolt he wasn't glowing, wasn't sparkling at all.

She screamed Carlisle's name as loudly as she could before she could think, throwing her self-forward and shaking her husband roughly, screaming his name now. By the time Carlisle made his way up to her doorway Emmett had opened one eye, mumbling something unintelligible before rolling over.

"Why'd you scream?" Carlisle asked, stepping inside the ornate room. His tone said he wasn't surprised.

"I-I thought Emmett was dead!" She stammered, shaking him again. He sat up finally; she threw her self at him, holding him tight. Emmett pulled her back, puzzled.

"What's wrong Rose?" He asked, wiping a tear off her cheek.

"You didn't move! You're not reflecting! I thought you where d-de-" She couldn't make her self say the word. He chuckled, tilting her chin up so he could kiss her perfect, full lips.

"I'm fine babe. Nothin' could hurt me." His smile fell as he looked around for the first time, a frown finding his face instead. Every one who lived in the house was staring at them from the doorway. He gave them a questioning look but before he could say anything Alice was speaking to Carlisle.

"What's going on?" Her small face was scrunched up in confusion. She didn't like not knowing something; normally it was her job to know everything, for the family's safety if not her own curiosity.

He frowned as he meet the now brown eyes of his adoptive daughter. "I'm not quite sure how it happened but we seem to have, lost our etherealness, in fact, on all accounts we seem…well… human."

……


	2. Breakfast

"Human?!" His whole family repeated the word in unison. Rosalie and Edward sounded hopeful, Emmett sounded incredulous, Alice sounded puzzled, Bella was just plain shocked and Jasper and Edward sounded angry.

"What are we going to do?" Edward asked, looking at his blond brother.

"Who ever did this obviously came alone, they couldn't finish us off by them selves." Jasper frowned. "We need to move, now!"

"My thoughts exactly. But why wouldn't they finish us when they had the chance?"

"Maybe they weren't the ones in charge? If I had to guess they where told to leave us alive so someone else could finish us off."

"What would they need us human for though." Edward frowned as he answered his own question. "Torture?"

Jasper nodded grimly. "That's the only thing I can think of. We've got to get out of here, **now**."

"I don't see any danger in the future." Alice said, both of the men turning. They hadn't noticed but the whole family was looking their direction, intent on what they where saying. They started moving as they talked, all of them migrating to the living room so Rennessime was within view.

"You didn't notice any danger last night either." Jasper whispered gently, catching his wife's hand in his and kissing the back of it.

Alice frowned than sighed. "I guess its just one more thing my visions can't see."

"Maybe it wasn't a vampire than." Edward frowned. "We know there's other creatures beside moonchildren, shape shifters and vampires out there. Maybe one of them did something?"

"Witches!" Jasper hissed. "I had to fight one with Maria." He shuddered, though whether at the thought of the witch or the violent woman who used to give his orders no one was sure. "One word, a flash of green light and four if the newborns where dead. They didn't even need to be burned."

"Why would they turn us human if they could do that? I mean-"

"It's not witches." Alice's voice was positive. "I was looking for you than, remember?"

"You saw that fight." He recalled, voice quiet. She had told him about it before. Alice just nodded. "Which means you can see witches. You saw her." He frowned, turning to Carlisle. "Regardless, we need to get out of here now, before they come back!"

Carlisle nodded, not exactly liking the idea of picking up and leaving but it couldn't be helped. They had stayed in forks long enough, longer than any town before.

"Jakey!" Nessie wailed, understanding what that would mean. She looked at them with tear filled eyes. "Were moving away from Jakey?!"

"We have to move Ness." Edward whispered but the little girl shook her head. "We can ask him to come but I don't know if-"

"Bull shit! You know I'm in!" Jacob growled, coming up through the door. Nessie ran over to him, throwing her little arms around his thick neck. "Why do you need to get away all of a sudden any ways." His eyes shot to Jasper. It was common knowledge he had the most difficulty with self-control. Before anyone got a chance to respond he got a good whiff if the family and his eyes shot open.

Now his gaze was instead locked on Carlisle. "What'd you do?!"

"I did nothing, we simply woke up like this." Carlisle began to fill him in.

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"So the real reason you're moving is safety. Me and my pack can-"

"I can't ask you to guard us forever." He hung his head. "We've been in town too long as is. Bella and Edward graduated three **years **ago. Do any of us really look our age?"

"Bella dose." He teased than quickly turned serious. "I don't mind, it's summer break so Seth's free and Leah will be glad for something to do."

"It's past time Jacob. You're free to come with us but we **are** moving on."

"I've already got a house prepared in Maine." Esme mumbled. "It's on the shore by the ocean." This was news to everyone but her husband Alice and Edward. She answered with a sad smile. "I had it prepared incase Jasper had _difficulties_ one day here in forks."

"Fine." He hung his head. "At least give us a few days. I'll call Leah to watch you guys while I make arrangements." He stood to go out side but Renessime still wouldn't let go. After a silent argument he stepped outside to transform, little girl still hanging around his neck. They came back in and flopped on the couch, everyone silent as time ticked by.

"Carlisle?" Rosalie broke the silence. "How human are we?"

"Completely. " He sighed. His medical stuff in the basement had confirmed his suspicions early this morning.

A small smile crept across her face and she caught Emmett's hand before rushing up the steps, insisting they needed to pack.

Edward shot her a look of annoyance as she rushed from the room and Alice shook her head, trying to clear it of the vision she just had. Esme stood, drifting into the kitchen, insisting it was breakfast time. Edward was playing with a strand of Bella's hair, she was doing the same. Nessie had switched the TV to sponge bob, she and Jacob where intently focused on it, Alice was sketching something on a piece of paper and Jasper was watching appraisingly over her shoulder.

After about twenty minutes Seth and his sister walked in. "What's with the backpack?" Jacob asked, turning around for the first time since he'd sat down.

"I told you if you pull a jail break I'm ridin' coat tails." She insisted.

"What about your mom."

"I already told her. Its not like I'm dying, I can still visit."

"The Cullen's don't want an extra tag-along."

"They won't mind." She looked at Edward. "You'd feel better having an extra pair of wolf eyes protecting Mrs. Danger magnet, wont you?" He nodded; the thought had already crossed his mind.

Jacob just rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to his young imprint.

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Alice stepped in the kitchen, intent on seeing if the water she'd seen Bella drink so many times as a human would do anything for her thirst. She poured a cup, drinking it down with a smile. "It works!" She said in amusement. Jasper and Esme both chucked. Their mother had just finished cooking and was now moving the food to the table. The two of them quickly helped her.

"Can you go get everyone?" She asked, already heading for the basement door to get Carlisle. Jasper headed for the living room and Alice headed steps that way Jasper wouldn't have to be affected by the emotions that where sure to be coming from their siblings room.

"Rosalie! Emmett! Esme wants you down stairs."

"Ugh! Tell her were busy!" Came Rosalie's breathless response.

"No way!" Alice stamped her little foot. "Hurry up and get down stairs. Esmee'll be upset if you miss our first family meal!"

"Fine." She groaned. "Be down in a minute!"

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"I need to go see Charlie." Bella mumbled in between bites of bacon.

"I'm coming with you!" Jacob insisted. "You don't know what's out there."

"Fine." She nodded.

"Were gonna take him to an amusement park!" Alice exclaimed.

"What?"

"Were gonna make his last day seeing you and Nessie for a while really fun! Were gonna go to six flags, Rose's gonna get lost –"

"I'm not gonna-"

"-and we'll have to look for her. Charlie's gonna enjoy the day and wont be as upset as if we just say were leaving and do!"

"Well," Carlisle chuckled. "Sounds like we've got a full day ahead of us."

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Comment if you want it to continue!


	3. Charlie

Ok im TRYING to finish off some of my old fanfics so I'm gonna work on this in my free time and post what I have, right now I have about ten minutes before I have to stick my clothes in the dryer and FINALLY get to go to be. OK lets go.

"Hey Bells brought the whole gang, huh?" Charlie opened the door with a smile.

"Hi Dad." She bit her lip as she said this, looking at his familiar face. It hurt to think about leaving him, it really did.

"What's wrong?" He could obviously see the distress on everyone's face.

Silence hung in the air until Edward broke with a soft "Were leaving."

"What happened?" He was looking from one visage to another in serious mode.

"Something…attacked us last night." Edward glared, clenching his fist. "It turned us human." The way he spit out the words confused Charlie.

"That's good right?"

"No! We can't defend our selves, were pathetic and mortal!" He shook his head. "Yes I've wished to be human so many time but we have no idea what did this! Or why! So for safety reasons we need to get as far away from here before what ever it was comes back!"

Charlie nodded in understanding, arms pulling the brunette girl into a close hug. "I'll-" He dropped off before he said the words.

"I know dad." She smiled up at him, tears pricking her eyes. "I'll miss you too."

He let go of her and Edward waited until he was certain they where done to continue speaking.

"Alice suggested we go to Six flag's and actually have fun as a family. We don't know if- I mean when- we'll see you again."

He nodded already grabbing his coat and shutting the door. "Lets go have us some family fun."

Bella rolled her eyes . Well his heart was in the right place but that disn't make him any less embarrassing.

told you it'd be short but next time I get free time I'll do more !


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